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Aug. 15, 195o Patented Aug. 15, 1950 SAFETY DEVICE Hayden H. Renner and Peter schneider, Akron,

and West S. Powell, Lowell, Ohio Application August 14, 1946, serial No. 690,530 2 claims. (ci. 251-159) This invention relates to a safety device, and it is primarily an object of the invention to provide a device of this kind which operates in a manner to permit the safe lowering of a person and it is therefore particularly advantageous for use as a fire escape, a safety appliance for a window washer, and other persons required to work at relatively high altitudes.

Fuithermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a device of this kin-d which comprises a rotating drum from which a cable is adapted to unwind under the influence of the weight of a person and wherein means are provided for automatically Ibraking the rotation of the drum and at the same time, effectively regulating the lowering of the person.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind which, when in actual use, is entirely automatic in its operation.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of our improved safety device, whereby certain important advantages are attained, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order that our invention may be better understood, we will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a view partially in side elevation and partly in section and also partly diagrammatic, illustrating a safetydevice constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a View partly in top plan andpartly in section of the device as illustrated in Figure l; and l Figure 3 is a sectional View taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

In the embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, I denotes a base plate of desired dimensions and configuration and which is adapted to ber securely anchored to a window sill or to any other 'support adjacent to a wall opening. This base plate I as herein embodied is elongated and is provided at desired points spaced lengthwise thereof with the upstanding bearing plates 2. These bearing plates 2 are preferably integral with the base plate which although for all intents and purposes it is only necessary that the joinder between these plates 2 and the plate I be rigid.

Rotatably disposed through the bearing plates 2 and supported thereby is a shaft 3. Freely mounted on the shaft 3 integrally thereof and immediately adjacent to one of theplates 2 is a drum D of desired dimensions and which includes the end flanges 4 between which a cable C winds upon the drum. This cable C is of such length as the requirements of practice mayy dictate and one extremity thereof may be anchored as at 5 to the drum D. The opposite or free end portion of the cable C carries-a harness H Whichfis adapted to be engaged with the person in a manner to assure the persons maintaining an effective posture and balance to facilitate the lowering of the person. It is also to be pointed out that the harness H as herein `comprised is of a character to permit the arms and legs of the person to be free, whereby the person may readily facilitate his lowering and particularly against having contact with an adjacent wall or other obstruction which might be encountered.

The harness H as herein set forth comprises two elongated loops 5 relatively large in size, and through each'of which a leg cfa person may be readily inserted. These loops 5 are continued at one end by an elongated strap portion 6 which are, as herein disclosed, continuous but have a folded portion 1 stitched or otherwise securely fastened in a manner to provide a casing 8 through which is disposed a cross bar 9 of a quick engaging eye member IU. 'Ihe eye of the member I0 is of a size to be quickly engaged over a proper hook II securely connected to the outer or free extremity of the cable C.

The connected portions of the straps 6 are rigidly attached' as by a rivet l2 or otherwise as may be preferred, to a chest-encircling member Il having -one extremity provided with a `snap hook I6 for quick selective engagement with vone of a number of ring members I1 carried by the opposite end portion of the body encircling strap. By providing a number of Aring members. adjustment is permitted to assure effective encirclement about a person of any size.A

Freely mounted upon the shaft 3 adjacent to thedrum'D and inwardly of thefdr'um is a disc I8. This disc I8 is free to move toward or from the adjacent inner flange 4 of the drum D but is held against rotation around the shaft 3 through the instrumentality of a radially depending pin or lug ISIy which extends within a slot 20 in the base vplate I. This slot 20 is of a width substantially equal to the diameter of the portion of the pin I9 in the slot 20 so as to substantially eliminate movement transversely of the slot. However, this slot 20 is of a length suillcient to allow the disc I8 to have lengthwise movement of the shaft 3 or toward or from the adjacent or coacting flange 4 of the drum D.

The outer face of the inner flange 4 of the drum D has rigidly secured thereto the shoes 2| of desired area and which are provided with the brake laminations or linings 22 of proper material as may be preferred. When the disc I8 is moved toward the drum D, the face of the disc I8, which is plane, will be frictionally' engaged by the brake lamination or lining 22 with a. resultant braking action on the drum D as the cable unwinds therefrom under the influence of its load.

The shaft 3 inwardly of the disc I8, but closely adjacent thereto, has fixed thereto a central portion of a cross arm 23 which is disposed equidistantly upon opposite sides of the shaft 3. The outer or free extremities of this cross arm 23 are bifurcated and fitting within the resulting kerfs 24 are the inner end portions of the elongated arms 25. 'I'hese arms 25 are pivotally connected with the extremities of the cross arm 23 and held Within the kerfs 24 thereof by the pins 26.

The inner or pivoted end `portions of the arms 25 are provided with the outwardly and laterally disposed feet 21 substantially co-planarand rigid with the outer face of each of these feet 21 is a cross plate 28, preferably integral therewith.

Secured as at 28 to the outer face of this plate 28 is a shoe 29 of desired area and the outer face of this shoe 29 carries a brakelining or lamination 30 of desired material or' composition. when swung outwardly under centrifugal action effect frictional contact of the linings 38 with the adjacent face of the d isc I8 to further retard the rotation of the drum D as thecable C unwlnds therefrom under the influence of its load.

The outer or free end portions of the arms 25 carry the weights 3| to further assure the desired outward swinging movement of these arms by centrifugal force. The outer end-portions of the arms 25 for a desired distance therealong; as at 32, are in divergence and `coacting with such portions V32 is a collar 33 freely mounted on the shaft 3 for sliding movement therealong and which, after being adjusted in desired'selectedv position, is locked into such position through themedium of the lbinding screw 34 threading through the -hub 35 of1the collar 33 and having 'binding engagement-with'tle shaft 3 to limit, as desiredthe inward swinging movement of-the arlS '25 orfmore especially, the extent oi!4 movement of the shoesY 2'9, away from the coactingfajc'e ofthe disc It. Y

`One extremity of' the shaftv3`` is Vprojectedi a desireddistance outwardly of the adjacentbearing plate 2 andwon which is freely'mpu'nted a crank 36. The-hub.' 31 of this crankv is provided with a clutch face 38 which, upon-inward movement of the crank 36 on the shaft'3, interlocks with the clutch member 39- surrounding the shaft fandnxedthereto.

The crankjU-is normally maintained in a de-l clutched position imder the action Vof an expansible spring 4U encircling the shaft 3 and The outer end portions of the arms 25 4 interposed between the clutch member 39 and the hub 31.

Normally, the crank 36 floats on the shaft 3 and particularly at the time the cable C is unwinding from the drum D. When it is desired to unwind the cable C onto the drum D, the crank 36 can be readily moved against the action ofthe spring 4|] to interlock the clutch face 38 and clutch member 38 so that the shaft 3 may be rotated in a required direction to effect winding of the cable C onto the drum D.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a safety device constructed in accordance with our invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated.

We claim:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a shaft, a pair of spaced supports for the shaft, the shaft at one end extending beyond the adjacent support, a cable drum carriedfon and secured to the shaft to rotate therewith, adisk member disposed adjacent to an endfof the drum and having the shaft extending free therethrough, the disk member having limited" movement lengthwise of the shaft, means securing the disk member against rotationalmovement on the shaft, friction shoes carried upon the end of the drum adjacent to and ini Opposed relation with said disk for engagement bythe disk when the latter is shifted toward the drum, apair of weight carrying centrifugally operated arms pivotally mounted upon the shaft to rotate therewith, each of said arms having an yend disposed adjacent to the opposite face of the disk, friction shoes carried upon thesaid ends` of the arms for engagement against the' adjacent face of the disk when the arms swing' outwardly from Ythe shaft, crank meansmounted upon the said projecting end of the shaft, means for establishing a clutching engagement between the crank meansy and the shaft, and spring means normally maintaining the crank means out of clutching engagement with thesh'a'ft.

275A device of the character stated in claim 1 wherein the said frictionelement carrying ends of the arms are extended outwardly from the shaft, the opposite ends of the arms being angled to extend obliquely outwardly from the shaft, the weights of the arms being mounted upon said angled ends, and means carried by the shaft between said angled ends for limiting the inward movement of the arms with respect to the shaft.Y A

HAYDEN H. RENNER. PE'IER SCHNEIDER. WEST S. POWELL.

l*REFERENCES CITED The following references are-- of record in the file of'ths patent:

. UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 324,670 l Doolittle ---if Aug. 18, 1885' v108,846 Vieregg Sept. 9, 1902 

